A love of horses has always been at the heart of modern and ancient Arabia.
In recent years, Abu Dhabi’s role has been the protection of the purebred Arabian, in large part through the support of the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed, who championed the breed with the establishment of the Royal Stables in 1974 and what would be an award-winning stud under the direction of Colonel Edward “Tug” Wilson, the first commander of the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces.
These horses also belong to the Royal Stables, although a very different one to the immaculately landscaped grounds just off Shakhbut bin Sultan Street.
This simple shelter was constructed outside Qasr Al Hosn and was built sometime in the 1950s.
The horses shown here may have been a gift to the late Abu Dhabi Ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut, from the late Ruler of Kuwait, Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah, and it is likely that their bloodline still survives 60 years later.
* James Langton
